Teri Fisher knows what it is like to work with a personal trainer because she was in that spot herself once. This 58-year-old mom started at Health 360 by working with a personal trainer. She’d sent her son and husband here first, however.

Her son started off pretty nonathletic, but he quickly grew eager for his trips to the gym. In fact, he’d impatiently anticipate his training sessions; if he felt like he was not being pushed hard enough, he would request a new trainer. After seeing such success, she sent her husband to Health 360 as well.

How Teri Started At Health 360

As for herself, Teri has a degree in nursing. Before Health 360, she worked as an RN in labor and delivery and women’s healthcare. She had always been athletic, including being a competitive ballroom dancer for 15 years. She’d also done taekwondo, becoming a 3rd degree black belt in addition to being an instructor. She signed herself up for personal training sessions after seeing the success of her husband and son. She quickly realized how different Health 360 was.

“There were women around my age,” she says. The diversity of clients was encouraging. Instead of pretty young models running the place, Teri noticed people of all sorts enjoying themselves and getting fit.

She decided to pursue becoming a personal trainer herself. While working full time, she got her personal trainer certification from the American Council of Exercise in July of 2013. She took on clients and she soon quit her old job and became a full time trainer at Health 360.

Teri’s Unique Approach

Teri also works with new clients to go over their health, decide what works best for them, and figure out what sort of help they need. She does physical checks on all of them; using her nursing background she can identify many medical issues that may influence someone’s fitness plans.

“Everybody cares about each other,” she says about Health 360. She not only does the initial screenings, but Teri also passes on that information to the trainers who will work with them, to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Teri is especially involved in training women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who want to be able to have fun with their grandkids, sit and stand with no pain, and be active. “When someone sees a trainer their age who can do all this… it encourages them to do more and be stronger,” says Teri.

Because Teri used the personal training services at Health 360 herself before she became one, she has a unique perspective on the experience. Instead of coddling her, the trainers she saw kept to the philosophy of “You’re strong and healthy and we’re going to treat you like a strong and healthy individual,” she says.

Looking back, Teri credits her previous experience as a major influence on how she trains. “The amazing thing about working with a personal trainer before I went and got my personal trainer certification,” she says, “is it made everything click.”

Getting active is a common goal. After all, with the warnings about sedentary lifestyles leading to all manner of problems, most people find that is all they need to get started. Hiring a personal trainer seems to be the next logical step. Someone to keep tabs on you, design workouts, and push you forward sounds like a great idea on the surface, right?

But, there’s a dark side to the fitness world that most people do not know about and that the industry would prefer to keep hidden.

At first glance, getting a personal trainer seems to mean a professional that knows the ins and outs of health and wellness. That, unfortunately, is not always the case.

In reality, personal training is a field that is often poorly regulated, hard to keep track of, and full of misinformation.

What’s Wrong In The Industry?

Victor Geremia, owner of Health 360, points out that, theoretically, working with a trainer should be a helpful experience. But, in practice, it’s far different. He graduated from the University of Toledo’s Sports Medicine program after five years, with a specialty in Athletic Training. The trainer market, he says, is “kind of like the Wild West.”

Almost anyone can call themselves a trainer. Less than 10% of people doing so have a degree in a related field. Some 40% of trainers claim certification, but unlike Victor, they can have as little as 100 minutes of education before being able to work at a gym, and many have lapsed certifications.

Exercise is certainly a good idea. But it can also be dangerous. Victor notes that injuries can range from bruises to broken bones or worse. Around 30% of the USA’s population is obese, but Victor says the poorly regulated personal training market is failing them. One of the worst phrases bad trainers use is “well it worked for me, it’ll work for them.” He says, “people are selling [consumers] lies.”

Why Is It This Way?

Victor recalls a 19-year-old man coming in to Health 360 wanting to work as a trainer. He had recently quit a large chain gym after seeing the questionable practices they employed. Mostly, the trainers were poorly educated people hired mainly to look good. While appreciating the man’s drive and ethical commitment to training, Victor turned him away and told him to come back after extensive schooling.

Health 360 requires its trainers to have degrees and stay on top of their continuing education. The rest of the industry, however, does not. Large chain gyms lobby to keep the market unregulated. This keeps their prices down. After all, if they can sell a few thousand memberships but not actually have most of those people come back, while still making money, they have little incentive to change.

“Nobody knows which college will oversee it,” says Victor, referring to the various agencies which claim to certify trainers. Some are stricter than others, but the variety of options means it is often not clear who is in charge.

On top of that, customers have their own, often incorrect, ideas about fitness. In fact, the top 10 Instagram fitness personalities have no formal training, says Victor. Instead, they are fitness models who look the part. Health information constantly changes, so Health 360’s trainers spend plenty of time devoted to understanding new developments, chain gyms often don’t bother.

What Can Consumers Do?

It’s not all doom and gloom. Places like Health 360 have a mission to change the training market. “We took it upon ourselves,” says Victor, because for consumers, “the system is failing them.” His trainers all have degrees, constantly research new health information, and work one-on-one with clients. They have years of training and backgrounds in fitness. Instead of generic one-size-fits-all workouts, they work with clients to determine what’s best for them. Research, into trainers and into a gym’s background, is a consumer’s best weapon.

Victor compares going the gym to going to the doctor. You don’t walk in, pull something off a shelf, hope it is your file, and solve whatever is wrong with you. Instead, you and the doctor work together to determine the problem and how to fix it. “Your exercises are medications,” says Victor. And just like medications, Health 360 works to ensure everyone gets the right prescription.

What People Say About Us

Gail (Joined June 2010)

"I was really WOWed. Health 360 is no ordinary big box gym. And way more affordable and flexible."

Health 360 Fitness Center

2014-03-25T09:16:01+00:00

"I was really WOWed. Health 360 is no ordinary big box gym. And way more affordable and flexible."

https://www.h360g.com/testimonials/27/

Lauren

I've worked with Lenny for the past year and he has prepared me to be a Division 1 squash player. Lenny is one of the best trainers I've ever worked with. Lenny brings energy and enthusiasm to each session. He focuses on having the proper form and clearly explains what each exercise targets. Whether he is teaching a new technique or correcting my form, he proceeds with professionalism and motivation. He makes me want to work harder and the workouts are really enjoyable! I could not image what my fitness level would be if I...

Health 360 Fitness Center

2014-11-14T01:03:50+00:00

I've worked with Lenny for the past year and he has prepared me to be a Division 1 squash player. Lenny is one of the best trainers I've ever worked with. Lenny brings energy and enthusiasm to each session. He focuses on having the proper form and clearly explains what each exercise targets. Whether he is teaching a new technique or correcting my form, he proceeds with professionalism and motivation. He makes me want to work harder and the workouts are really enjoyable! I could not image what my fitness level would be if I had not been training with Lenny. - Lauren

https://www.h360g.com/testimonials/249/

Mark

My son’s training program with Lenny Taylor was designed to make him a better athlete by becoming stronger, quicker and faster for football and baseball. His program focused on ground up strength build, quick twitch muscle training and form running mechanics. The results to date have been overwhelming and have exceeded the goals set at the start of his training program. The hard work with Lenny helped earn him 2-Time All Ohio in baseball and a Division I scholarship at Ohio University. What we appreciated most about working with Lenny was his focused approach in...

Health 360 Fitness Center

2014-11-14T01:03:28+00:00

My son’s training program with Lenny Taylor was designed to make him a better athlete by becoming stronger, quicker and faster for football and baseball. His program focused on ground up strength build, quick twitch muscle training and form running mechanics. The results to date have been overwhelming and have exceeded the goals set at the start of his training program. The hard work with Lenny helped earn him 2-Time All Ohio in baseball and a Division I scholarship at Ohio University. What we appreciated most about working with Lenny was his focused approach in developing a training program that improved areas of weakness. Lenny’s no excuse mentality and good nature was a huge part of the program and kept my son wanting more. - Mark

https://www.h360g.com/testimonials/mark/

Health 360 Performance Institute

"Prior to this previous summer, my goal was to be the strongest member of my rowing team. In doing so, I knew that I would have to gain 10 pounds. Through working with Lenny throughout the summer, I was able to surpass that goal and gain 14 pounds of muscle (165 to 179). Lenny continually pushes me every training session through positive reinforcement in order to allow me to reach my potential as an athlete. My goal for this upcoming winter is to match that 14 lbs, I have no doubt that Lenny will push...

Health 360 Fitness Center

2014-11-14T00:56:28+00:00

"Prior to this previous summer, my goal was to be the strongest member of my rowing team. In doing so, I knew that I would have to gain 10 pounds. Through working with Lenny throughout the summer, I was able to surpass that goal and gain 14 pounds of muscle (165 to 179). Lenny continually pushes me every training session through positive reinforcement in order to allow me to reach my potential as an athlete. My goal for this upcoming winter is to match that 14 lbs, I have no doubt that Lenny will push me past it. Additionally, Lenny's personality makes working with him something that I'm always looking forward to." - Brad

https://www.h360g.com/testimonials/health-360-performance-institute/

Maryann (Joined May 2010)

"…the equipment is state-of-the art and the wide variety of classes offered are excellent. The friendly warm family-like atmosphere at Health 360 even includes the other members."

Health 360 Fitness Center

2014-03-25T09:16:47+00:00

"…the equipment is state-of-the art and the wide variety of classes offered are excellent. The friendly warm family-like atmosphere at Health 360 even includes the other members."

https://www.h360g.com/testimonials/29/

Jim (Joined Jan 2010)

"…I think Health 360 approaches the goal of membership growth in the right way. They understand that it’s not all about numbers, but adding value and making going to the gym a great all around experience."

Health 360 Fitness Center

2014-03-25T09:19:16+00:00

"…I think Health 360 approaches the goal of membership growth in the right way. They understand that it’s not all about numbers, but adding value and making going to the gym a great all around experience."